COH Story # 19 Old Feuds New Consequences part 1

Old Feuds New Consequences
by Christian O'Kane


Vilnius, Lithuania Modern Day

  The summons arrived in an unusual manner.

  Svetlana Malenchinsky aka Strela was visiting an archery store in Vilnius. The shop was a modest affair tucked into a modern building on a side street. The sign on the window said simply "Vilnius Archery". She was pleasantly surprised to find good sized store stocked with all manner of archery related items. It even had a large, indoor, archery range.

  The man who walked into the shop was wearing the uniform of the Lithuanian army. The rank on his shoulders marked him as a Leitenantas - or lieutenant. Without a word he walked over to the super powered archer. "This is for you," he extended his arm and in his hand was a white envelope.

  Strela took the envelope and the messenger turned and left without another word. For a moment she considered going after the man but thought better of it. He was just the messenger.

  The letter was on plain, white paper and read simply. "Please report to the Gaiziunai Training Area by 0900. Our payment for your service is $25,000."

  "Get me Commander Carlisle on the phone," Svetlana ordered the nanites.

  "Now that is good timing," the nanites commented. The microscopic machines in her body allowed her instant communication. "He's calling you."

  "Put him through," she said coldly.

  The little symbol of a phone appeared in her eyesight and then the word, "Connected."

  "I don't mind doing work for them but it hurts that they think I will just accept the job for money," Strela said in way of greeting.

  "Consider it payback for causing that ruckus yesterday in Vilnius," the Longbow commander responded with a touch of humor in his voice.

  Strela couldn't help but smile when she thought of the confusion Iron Wolf had shown when they had met.

  "Seriously though," the man continued. "It's about Gaiziunai."

  "Gaiziunai?" Svetlana asked slowly as she searched her mind for the reference. She remembered just before the nanites displayed the information directly onto her eyesight. "The Soviet army base here in Lithuania? The Russians abandoned that back in 1993 when they pulled out of the country."

  "It's not the army facility that is the problem."

  She was silent for a moment. "You mean the old Soviet Defenders of the Motherland base?"

  "Exactly."

  "I assume Irisa closed and stripped the place when they pulled out," the woman responded frankly. "But i can't be certain. "I left the team almost two years before that."

  "We don't know," came the answer. "No one can get inside."

  "Why not?" she asked.

  "The guns and force field."

  "The defenses are still active?" Svetlana asked, genuinely surprised.

  "Very much so," came the Longbow officers answer. "The Lithuanian government is worried that the Soviets left behind something truly nasty like a Thunderball."

  "If they left something deadly behind you can only hope it was merely a nuclear weapon," the archer answered.

  "Merely?" The commander asked nervously. "What could be worse than a tactical nuclear weapon?"

  "Now that is a question I'm not sure I want to hear the answer to," the nanites commented.

  "Agreed."

  "We fought a lot of things over the years," Svetlana answered. "Far worse than Iron Wolf." She rubbed her right leg. "I still have the scars from something that crawled from the Angara river one night. I never did find out what it was. After fighting all day and night the thing crawled back into the river and vanished."

  "That is why we need your help," the commander explained. "You are one of only a handful of people who have actually been inside."

  "That makes sense," Svetlana responded. "I'll be glad to help out."

  "Thank you," the commander responded. "I'll inform the Lithuanians and NATO. One small question. You realize that document you gave to the professor was worth twenty times what they paid you for it."

  "It was never about the money," she responded. "Not then. Not now."


**************


  "We suggest you land outside the base," the nanites commented. "Unless you want to play tag with an FIM-92 Stinger missile."

  The official name of the installation was the Gaiziunai Training Area in Rukla, Lithuania. In reality it was a good sized collection of buildings clustered in one part of a large property. Most of it was forest, fields, dirt roads and dusty trails that seems to go on forever and yet led nowhere in particular.

  She had never been really impressed by the place but she had never been impressed by ANY military post. They all seemed to be the same collection of drab buildings located in the middle of nowhere. Only the one above the arctic circle had been different. Instead of dirt and trees that place had been snow, ice and yet more snow.

  Getting there was easy. Having the ability to fly meant not having to rent a car. Svetlana decided on the subtle/casual approach. She landed a half a kilometer away from the base in a small group of trees where no one could see her. She stopped in town for a soft drink and took her time walking to the main gate. So twenty minutes later the two soldiers on guard at the main gate saw a woman in her early thirties with brown hair casually walk up the street. She was sipping a soda and eating a bag of cookies. On  her back was a duffle bag with her bow and forty arrows and other gear inside.

  "I'm here to meet the Base Commander," she said simply to the soldier.

  "Your name?"

  "My code name is Strela," she answered.

  The soldier spoke into a small radio for a moment. Then he looked back to Strela. "Wait please. Your escort will arrive shortly." And with that he took a step backward, ending all conversation.

  Her escort arrived exactly four minutes later in the form of a Lithuanian army officer riding in a hummer. The rank on his uniform marked him as a captain. The insignia on his shoulder of a flaming sword on a green shield marked him as a member of the Lithuanian Special Forces. He slowly walked up to her with a scowl on his face. "You always dress like that for a mission?" The officer asked harshly.

  "What did you expect me to wear?" She shot back. "Skin tight leather and a thong?"

  "I'm sure a lot of the soldiers would like it!" The nanites commented.

  "Many female Supers wore outrageous costumes, many so skimpy as to border on pornographic."

  "It seems to be part of the Supers culture for them to wear unusual or strange clothing."

  "Or as little clothing as possible."

  " A perfect example is Myech," the nanites said. "She deliberately wore very provocative clothing."

  "If she wore clothing at all. She was actually accused of wearing nothing but body paint on several occasions."

  "Alina was always a rebel. The more the officials complained," Strela commented with a laugh. "The less she wore."

  "She is on CIA and Interpol watch lists."

  "Why?" Strela asked, concerned. "What did she do?"

  "Nothing," the nanites explained. "She's not on there for what she has done. It's more a case of 'Whatever happened to?' She hasn't been seen in years."

  "I was under the impression this was to be done quietly," the woman added, ignoring the nanites. "So I dressed inconspicuously."

  The officer slowly nodded his head and gave a faint trace of a smile. The officer examined her for a moment. "Follow me."

  To Svetlana the base really hadn't changed that much in the decade since she had last been here. She noted a few buildings torn down and a few new ones but most seemed to be the same drab ones as before. It did seem a lot less busy. She that noted some buildings that had an air of disuse about them. Not outright abandonment but the feel of a place unused in a long time. This didn't surprise her. Under the Soviets it had been home to the 76ths Guards Airborne Division and the 242nd Training Centre. Now it was home of the much smaller Lithuanian army units.

  Still the walkways were swept clean and the lawns were well kept. At least the Lithuanians had maintained things well.

  Her guide didn't take her to the base commanders office. Instead a short ride in a hummer found Strela and her escort on a narrow road paved with concrete tiles. The trip ended suddenly when a chain link fence ran across the road, blocking it completely. Signs on the fences read "Warning, Danger, Do not enter." And one was a red square with a white skull and crossbones and the words DANGER MINEFIELD in Lithuanian, English, German and Russian.

  Standing in front of the fence was an army officer. He was wearing camouflaged fatigues and had a pistol in a holster on his hips. He was looking at her with a cold, calculating stare that was devoid of any warmth.

  "For this assignment you'll have an escort and an expert with you," the captain said as they climbed out of the hummer. He pointed to the other officer. "This is Vyresnysis Lietenantas Jonas Saltis. He is a specialist in nuclear, chemical and biological weapons."

  "Vyresnysis Lietenantas Jonas Saltis," the nanites explained. "Specialty is NBC but he also has a degree in nuclear engineering."

  Strela gave a nod of the head. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

  The officer didn't speak but gave a slight nod of the head and scowled at her.

  "Oh boy is HE a friendly one." the nanites commented. "He makes Iron Wolf look like positively friendly."

  "To him I represent the worst of the Soviet repression," Strela commented telepathically to the nanites.

  "If Iron Wolf was able to accept you," the nanites asked. "Why can't he?"

  "Some people find it hard to forgive and forget," she responded.

  They heard him long before he came into sight. The loud roar of a powerful engine could be heard echoing down the road. In moments a motorcycle roared into view. He sprayed the trio with gravel and dirt as he skidded sideways stopping a mere meter from the three. waiting people. The rider got off the bike and removed his helmet.

  The man was wearing a jacket, pants and boots all of dark brown and of a cut and style straight out of the 17th century. He even had a three cornered hat. On his belt were two large, flintlock pistols. He reminded her more of some 17th century highwayman than of a modern Superhero. But her well trained senses noticed that beneath his wool and silk jacket was a chest plate of modern, bulletproof armor. "My apology for being late," he said in a suave and confident voice. "I ran into some trouble along the way. I hope I haven't missed the party."

  "You're late," the commander said harshly. "Fashionably late. As usual."

  Strela examined the new arrival carefully. "Who are you?"

  "Me? I'm as old as the mountains," he said with a grandiose sweep of his arms. "And as enduring as the trees! I am forever."

  She peered at him for a moment. "No you're not. I have shoes older than you are," she said flatly.

  He scowled at her for a long moment. "I'm here to keep you from doing anything stupid."

  Strela smiled. "Now that I believe. My name is Strela. What's yours?"

  "Tadas," the man said as he took off his hat and bowed. "Tadas Blinda."

  She bowed in return. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

  "Tadas Blinda," the nanites told her. "A new hero. Only been active for the last 3 years. Considered an independent but with known connections to the Lithuanian Army. There is a 45% possibility he is Special Forces."

  "Oh he IS Lithuanian Special Forces," Strela thought quietly to the nanites. "I've met too many specially trained soldiers to miss the clues. The only question is if he is Special Forces or ex-Special Forces."

  "Hard to tell," the nanites commented. "The odds are 50/50 either way. If he is not on active duty he has retained close ties to the military. He might be on 'Detached Duty' like Misha is."

  "Now that is a strong possibility," Strela commented.

  The entrance to Soviet Defenders of the Motherland base # 7 (the correct name was Location 237389) had always been a modest affair. Once past the (lethal level) electrified fence and the minefield there was a large, metal blast door set in concrete on one side of a small hill. Built into the concrete above the door was a small turret with an auto cannon mounted. Both turret and door were protected by a powerful force field.  In front of the door was a small parking area that usually held at least one UAZ-469 in it. The small, four wheeled vehicle were used by the soldiers who guarded the fence and the entrance.

  She examined the blasted pile of concrete, rubble and twisted metal that had been the entrance. The only things recognizable were the barrel of the gun turret and the faint shimmer of the force field. The doors themselves were buried under tons of concrete. Only a small portion of the top was visible. What does the other entrance look like?"

  "It's not there," the officer responded stiffly. "The entrance was blown up and covered with several tons of concrete and rubble."

  Strela sighed and shook her head. "When was the last time anyone was inside?"

  "Not since November 1992 when the last Russian troops pulled out," the Lithuanian army officer answered. "That's when they did this." He pointed to the pile of rubble. "And blew up all the entrances. But the tunnels were empty for a while before that. The last Super team had left back in March."

  "They probably stripped the place bare," Strela commented.

  "Like all the other places they left behind," Tadas added sarcastically.

  "We cannot be sure," the officer responded. "We are sure they booby trapped it. After we took control of the facility we did a careful reconnaissance and four men were wounded by mines and some sort of automated machine gun."

  Svetlana shook her head. "That isn't like Irisa. She may be hot headed and irascible but she would never stoop to such petty vindictiveness. Especially if there was even the slightest chance of some innocent civilian getting hurt."

  "Someone did it," the officer responded. "And we need to be sure something more dangerous is not down there."

  "To be honest I'm surprised they left anything usable behind," Svetlana commented. "I was sure they'd have stripped the place of everything usable and then just blown up the rest."

  "What were the tunnels like?" He asked.

  "Nothing exciting really," she answered. "There was one main tunnel that ran completely through the hill. With entrances on either end. Off that were smaller, side tunnels that were broken up for various purposes."

  "And the defenses on the entrances?" Came the question.

  She pondered her answer for a moment. "I remember a 30mm automated cannon turret and that the doors themselves were electrified and protected by a force field. But a big part of the defenses was the airborne division stationed  here."

  "That alone would keep most enemies at a distance," Tadas commented.

  "We deactivated the electric fences and removed the minefield," the officer explained. "But the cannon and the force field are interconnected and we have to deal with both at the same time."

  "It's an AK-230 30mm/63. Two  stabilized NN-30 mm water-cooled four chamber revolver cannons each capable of 1000 rounds a minute. They're mounted inside a riveted steel turret. Gyro-stabilized with radar/IR and camera sensors," the nanites commented.

  "Certainly they have to run out of ammunition sometime," the man said.

  Strela shook her head. "The turret has an ammo magazine with 500,000 rounds."

  "Five hundred thousand?" He asked. "A bit of an overkill?"

  "Well," she admitted sheepishly. "It didn't seem like too much when we had it installed. You have to understand this was meant to withstand a raid by a NATO team. The walls are of concrete reinforced with steel and several other metals and four meters thick. There is also a metal mesh that protects everything inside from an EMP weapon and it carries a level 12 force field. Covering all of that is at least ten meters of earth. It will withstand a direct hit by a three megaton weapon."

  "Autocannon turrets, force fields and nuclear blast proof walls. Those are some serious defenses," Tadas commented.

  Strela shook her head. "Oh no. This was only a minor facility. An outpost really. The base in Petersburg was a primary war base. That was buried over one hundred meters below ground and had three levels of rooms and galleries. It had six entrances each guarded by autocannons, force fields, antitank missiles and a platoon of infantry. There was also laser cannons, an SA-8 SAM battery and an Intermediate range, ballistic missile silo."

  "An IRBM silo?" Tadas said nervously. "Nuclear tipped missile?"

  "Oh yes! But Irisa - she was called Winter Star - then disabled the warhead," Strela smiled. "She said We are here to save people and cities not destroy them."

  The officer was taking notes. "What happened to that base?"

  Strela shrugged. "I don't know. Probably still there but the missile silo is gone. I know that for a fact. I checked before I left Russia."

  "How was this little base powered?" The army officer asked.

  "It had a small nuclear reactor," the woman responded. "The same as those in the Delta class ballistic missiles subs. But that was replaced by something smaller and more powerful around 1990. But I don't know the exact details. I stayed far away from it."

  The hero smiled. "A smart idea. Was there any backup?"

  Svetlana nodded in response. "Two diesel generators. Kolomna 2D42M 2,000 hp diesel engines. Straight out of a Foxtrot class submarine. I remember they still had the labels on them marking them as Navy property. There was also enough batteries to power everything for a ten hours." She was quiet for a moment. "I remember that back at the base in Moscow we had the same thing. A nuclear reactor was backed up by several powerful diesel generators and batteries. But THAT base also had a connection into the regular Moscow power system."

  "We discovered the tap into the base electrical system several years ago," the army officer answered. The scowl left his face as it brightened with realization. "We discovered one connection. There might be a second one we haven't found yet."

  "What we need is get inside without having to blast our way through. I was hoping you might know of some secret entrance into the place," Tadas said slowly.

  "That type of plot device only happens in bad movies and comic books," She said with a sarcastic scowl on her face. "But then again." Strela stood silently there for a moment.

  The officer scowled. "You're kidding?" He said incredulously.

  "There were four separate, secret exits to the complex," the woman said. "But I'm sure none of them are left."

  "Only one way to find out," Tadas commented.

  "One entrance was in the bunker in the basement of the Headquarters building." Strela answered.

  The officer shook his head. "The bunker is there but that tunnel was collapsed and the entrance filled in with concrete."

  Strela thought for a moment. "The second was in the basement of a house in Gaiziunai in the railroad yard."

  The officer shook his head. "Gone. They collapsed the tunnel, filled in the entrance and then demolished the house."

  Svetlana shook her head. "Irisa always one to do a thorough job. The third was down on the banks of the Neris river. But that tunnel is probably completely flooded. The last was near the Jonava airfield."

  "We've searched the Jonava airbase," the officer countered with a shake of the head. "The entire place was carefully searched. We even used ground penetrating radar to look for tunnels."

  Tadas nodded in agreement. "I've been there several times. It's been abandoned for years. They use the concrete runway for racing events on the weekends."

 Strela laughed. "I don't mean at the Jonava airfield itself. It's near it not at it. And it was just a hatch in the ground a little to the north of the airfield. About a kilometer north of the control tower."